For all but a couple of people the rains came too early Tuesday night as the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) packed them in to the Marshalltown Speedway. Both Darin Duffy and Mike Spaulding would have liked to have seen Mother Nature’s interference arrive just five minutes earlier and both of them would have been money ahead, but for Jon Tesch the timing was just right as the South Dakota driver won his second straight touring event on the Marshalltown high-banks.
Lightning flashed to the west as the twenty-four-car starting field was hurried onto the speedway for the scheduled forty-lap USMTS Modified main event with Darin Duffy and last year’s Marshalltown winner Jon Tesch starting from the front row. Duffy looked strong as he drove through the middle groove to take the early lead while Tesch picked up the chase running the high line in second. Duffy runs IMCA Modifieds weekly and it is not often that you see a non-USMTS regular out front at one of their shows, but Tesch was doing all he could just to keep up with the leader before the first caution waved on lap nine for a spin by Jeff Larson in turn four. On the restart Duffy again pulled away a bit while Tesch had to deal with Rodney Sanders and Jason Hughes who raced him three-wide off of turn two. At this point Duffy, in his Karsyn’s Krusaders “Kickin’ Cancers Butt One Lap At a Time” #19D looked as though he was going to kick the butts of his competitors as well until he slowed suddenly on lap seventeen with mechanical issues.
Tesch would inherit the lead as the field restarted with the wind picking up and the lightning getting closer. Again Sanders and Hughes made a run at Tesch with no success before disaster struck for veteran Minnesota driver Mike Spaulding. As he raced with Derek Ramirez into turn one Spaulding’s car set sideways and then barrel-rolled a couple of times down on the bottom groove. As Spaulding climbed out of his car uninjured the rain started to fall and having watched the storms approach on the radar I knew that it was time for a quick exit. Unofficially I had Tesch with the win, the current point leader Hughes in second, Sanders third, Tommy Myer fourth and Mark Elliott fifth.
USMTS M-town Notes…..The five division show that also included Sport Mods, Stock Cars, Dirt Trucks and Mod Lites started right on time at 7 p.m. and the Modified feature was on the track at 8:37. Unfortunately the rains came at 8:51 about an hour and ten minutes earlier than the weather service had predicted…..It was a nice recovery for the Texan Rodney Sanders as he had rolled his car on Saturday night in Moberly, Missouri…..Myer had moved up from the twelfth starting spot to fourth……Spaulding had one of the Dirt Knights cameras mounted on the roof of his car. Hopefully it will give us some good footage to see next January when the show runs on the Versus network as it is probably toast now……Spaulding had trouble earlier in the night as well as he spun in turn two on the final lap of his heat race while running second…..Corey Dripps is another one of the Dirt Knights stars and they should have some great footage of his heat race battle with Duffy as the two recovered from some pretty good contact on the front stretch to finish one-two with Dripps taking the win……With no provisionals on the USMTS tour the pressure to qualify out of the B-Mains is intense. Dan Chapman looked to have a transfer spot sewn up before he slipped off of turn two late in the second B-Main and points contender Tim Donlinger lost a transfer when he did the same thing on the final lap of that race…..Ryan Gustin passed Nate Caruth on the final lap to win the first B-Main and his hometown fans were on their feet and cheering as if it were the big money race. It is good to see such great fan interaction!….Cayden Carter started from the front row and dominated the twelve-lap Sport Mod feature. Danny Dvorak and Matt Lettow provided a great race for second though with Dvorak making the pass in the final two laps to secure the position. The winner’s cousin Carter VanDenBerg finished in the fourth spot while young Tyler Droste rounded out the top five. I believe that Droste is the son of 1996 All Iowa Points Modified Champion Steve Droste and the grandson of 1967 All Iowa Points Late Model Champion Red Droste. Could he someday be our first “third generation” All Iowa Points champ??…..Tim Hennigar won a quick Mod Lite main event while the Stock Car and Dirt Truck features were washed away…..Local Late Model star Darrell DeFrance was behind the wheel of one of the trucks tonight…..Great to hear Todd Narveson on the microphone tonight. Todd is a regular announcer at Deer Creek Speedway and also works several events for the USMTS around the area. Just another case of a younger and better announcer taking work from me!!!…..As I was driving home WHO radio reported trees and power lines down in Tama from sixty mile per hour winds at 9:40. As I was leaving the Dairy Queen in Tama the clock on my car showed 9:20 so thank goodness for the quick exit!
If weather permits, the cars and stars of the USMTS will be at the Southern Iowa Speedway tonight (Wednesday) and at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison on Thursday before moving up to the state of Minnesota with a show at Chateau Speedway on Friday.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Krohn Drives To USMTS $$$$ At Moberly
As the cars and stars of the United States Modified Touring Series raced through the turns of 24 Raceway Saturday night during their five qualifying heat races, it looked more like a race through the Baja desert rather than a trip around one of the Midwest’s fastest dirt ovals. Dry spots going into turn one and into turn three appeared during hot laps and the dust plumes billowed and swirled from behind the cars as the drivers set them into the corners. But after an hour-long session of re-working the track during intermission, the issue was minimized and the track was back to its more normal racy condition for the main events.
Local driver Darin Walker now behind the wheel of the #22c ride sat on the pole position for the USMTS Modified thirty-lap finale with current point leader Ryan Gustin right beside him. Gustin shot to the lead at the drop of the green and it was the second row starters Jason Hughes and Tim Donlinger who picked up the chase of the leader. Another local, Kevin Blackburn was running a strong fourth and was putting the heat on Donlinger before he ended up in the turn four wall on lap eleven bringing out the second caution of the event. On the restart Donlinger, Hughes and Gustin raced three-wide for the next lap before Gustin again established himself as the leader.
With the preferred line by most being around the top side of the speedway, it was easy to spot Tommy Myer who was now working the extreme low groove in the corners and quickly making his way toward the front. Myer was up to fourth after starting fifteenth when the caution flew again on lap twenty-one for Corey Dripps. A flat left rear tire was the culprit for Dripps who himself had made a nice run up from fourteenth to sixth. Once again on the restart the battle was three-wide for the front, but this time it was Jason Krohn who joined Hughes and Gustin in a side-by-side-by-side formation. Gustin again used the momentum off the top groove to maintain the lead, but a lap later he went too high in turn one and tagged the retaining wall. The young gun from Marshalltown, Iowa, was able gather it back up and continue on but he lost several positions as Krohn inherited the lead down the back stretch. On the following lap Gustin again had issues in turn one as he tangled with Rodney Sanders in an accident that saw Sanders’ car #20 roll a couple of times before it settled to a halt upside down. The Texas driver crawled out of his used up racecar uninjured while Gustin headed to the pits to make repairs.
Before the red it still appeared that Myer was turning the best lap times running his low line, but the break for the cleanup in turn one must have made a difference as once back to green he could not mount a charge on the leaders. Krohn cruised the final six laps to take the $3,000 victory with Hughes coming home second and Myer settling for third. Zack VanderBeek came out of nowhere on the final restart to finish fourth after starting twenty-third while Kelly Shryock, who also slapped the turn one wall on the same lap that Gustin first did, held on for fifth. Gustin came back out to finish the race in 15th and he hopes to regain his point lead in the Hunt for the USMTS title as the series moves to his hometown track the Marshalltown Speedway on Tuesday night for the first of three straight USMTS appearances on Iowa tracks. The series then goes to Oskaloosa on Wednesday night September 1st and then on to the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison on Thursday night.
The Dart Iron Man Challenge for the USRA Stock Cars ran in support of the Modifieds with a solid field of fifteen cars taking the green for the twenty-lap main event. Point leader Mike VanGenderen started from the pole and held off the early challenges of driver and promoter Rick Girard. Girard is now promoting races at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri, on Saturday nights. Girard faded to fifth on a lap six restart and it was then Derrick Agee who applied the pressure on VanGenderen sticking his nose under the leader on several occasions. VanGenderen though was not to be intimidated as he held on to make the long trip from Newton, Iowa, worthwhile by taking the checkered flag first. Agee finished a few car lengths back in second while Iowa drivers Steve Jackson, Shane Weller and Nathan Wood rounded out the top five. The Dart Iron Man Challenge for the Stock Cars will close out its 2010 run with the three events coming up this week at Marshalltown, Oskaloosa and Allison.
The local four cylinder Hornet division was also in competition with Rob Chase taking the win in a race that saw only eight of the seventeen starters complete the twenty-lap distance with two cars taking hard rollovers. Fortunately both escaped injury.
Despite the questionable track conditions to start the evening, the show was an entertaining one as 24 Raceway always seems to offer up three and four-wide racing action. A big thanks to track announcer Doug Mealy for the kind words that he had for PositivelyRacing and another big thanks to my friend and neighbor Mark Hayes who made the evening possible for me with a mid-afternoon phone call.
Make sure that you try to hit at least one of the three USMTS events in Iowa this coming week!
Local driver Darin Walker now behind the wheel of the #22c ride sat on the pole position for the USMTS Modified thirty-lap finale with current point leader Ryan Gustin right beside him. Gustin shot to the lead at the drop of the green and it was the second row starters Jason Hughes and Tim Donlinger who picked up the chase of the leader. Another local, Kevin Blackburn was running a strong fourth and was putting the heat on Donlinger before he ended up in the turn four wall on lap eleven bringing out the second caution of the event. On the restart Donlinger, Hughes and Gustin raced three-wide for the next lap before Gustin again established himself as the leader.
With the preferred line by most being around the top side of the speedway, it was easy to spot Tommy Myer who was now working the extreme low groove in the corners and quickly making his way toward the front. Myer was up to fourth after starting fifteenth when the caution flew again on lap twenty-one for Corey Dripps. A flat left rear tire was the culprit for Dripps who himself had made a nice run up from fourteenth to sixth. Once again on the restart the battle was three-wide for the front, but this time it was Jason Krohn who joined Hughes and Gustin in a side-by-side-by-side formation. Gustin again used the momentum off the top groove to maintain the lead, but a lap later he went too high in turn one and tagged the retaining wall. The young gun from Marshalltown, Iowa, was able gather it back up and continue on but he lost several positions as Krohn inherited the lead down the back stretch. On the following lap Gustin again had issues in turn one as he tangled with Rodney Sanders in an accident that saw Sanders’ car #20 roll a couple of times before it settled to a halt upside down. The Texas driver crawled out of his used up racecar uninjured while Gustin headed to the pits to make repairs.
Before the red it still appeared that Myer was turning the best lap times running his low line, but the break for the cleanup in turn one must have made a difference as once back to green he could not mount a charge on the leaders. Krohn cruised the final six laps to take the $3,000 victory with Hughes coming home second and Myer settling for third. Zack VanderBeek came out of nowhere on the final restart to finish fourth after starting twenty-third while Kelly Shryock, who also slapped the turn one wall on the same lap that Gustin first did, held on for fifth. Gustin came back out to finish the race in 15th and he hopes to regain his point lead in the Hunt for the USMTS title as the series moves to his hometown track the Marshalltown Speedway on Tuesday night for the first of three straight USMTS appearances on Iowa tracks. The series then goes to Oskaloosa on Wednesday night September 1st and then on to the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison on Thursday night.
The Dart Iron Man Challenge for the USRA Stock Cars ran in support of the Modifieds with a solid field of fifteen cars taking the green for the twenty-lap main event. Point leader Mike VanGenderen started from the pole and held off the early challenges of driver and promoter Rick Girard. Girard is now promoting races at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri, on Saturday nights. Girard faded to fifth on a lap six restart and it was then Derrick Agee who applied the pressure on VanGenderen sticking his nose under the leader on several occasions. VanGenderen though was not to be intimidated as he held on to make the long trip from Newton, Iowa, worthwhile by taking the checkered flag first. Agee finished a few car lengths back in second while Iowa drivers Steve Jackson, Shane Weller and Nathan Wood rounded out the top five. The Dart Iron Man Challenge for the Stock Cars will close out its 2010 run with the three events coming up this week at Marshalltown, Oskaloosa and Allison.
The local four cylinder Hornet division was also in competition with Rob Chase taking the win in a race that saw only eight of the seventeen starters complete the twenty-lap distance with two cars taking hard rollovers. Fortunately both escaped injury.
Despite the questionable track conditions to start the evening, the show was an entertaining one as 24 Raceway always seems to offer up three and four-wide racing action. A big thanks to track announcer Doug Mealy for the kind words that he had for PositivelyRacing and another big thanks to my friend and neighbor Mark Hayes who made the evening possible for me with a mid-afternoon phone call.
Make sure that you try to hit at least one of the three USMTS events in Iowa this coming week!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Aikey Tops Clash, Schulte and Chandler Also Winners On A Darn Near Perfect Night In Tipton
On nearly a perfect night for racing the Cedar County Raceway, the Corn Belt Clash Late Models and two solid support divisions served up a near perfect night of racing Wednesday night in Tipton, Iowa. Maybe it was the fact that I hadn’t been to a racetrack in eleven days, or that it has been just over three weeks since I have been to a stock car race, but it sure was enjoyable watching the three divisions in action on a perfectly prepared surface in front of a beautiful blue and orange sunset on a crystal clear cool evening.
Twenty-four CBC Late Models were on hand and the storyline for their portion of the program started in hot laps when Chad Simpson, winner of eight of the Clash events so far in 2010, slowed to a stop on the front stretch. Chad got out of the car, looked at the rear end and then drove it back to the pits unassisted, but he was a no-show when it came time to run his heat race. Just before intermission though, Simpson came to the track and ran a couple of hot laps before returning to the pits for final preparations for the 35-lap main event that he would start from the rear. (For perhaps more details on the situation with Chad’s mechanical issues, check out “In Staging” as Ryan Clark had based himself in the pits for the evening while I, as always, prefer the comfort of the grandstands).
Two of the three Eckrich brothers in attendance, Denny and Dave lined up on the front row for the feature race and, after a couple of misfires due to spins in the back of the lineup, it was Denny who charged to the front at the third drop of the green. As the leader ran the very top of the quarter-mile oval, it was quickly obvious that Jeff Aikey had nailed the setup for the very bottom line of the speedway as he drove by Eckrich for the lead on lap four. With Aikey and Denny Eckrich starting to pull away from the field the crowd could now focus their attention on tight battles for position for third as well as throughout the field. Dave Eckrich, Jason Rauen and Kurt Kile were waging war for that third spot, with all three mostly hugging that bottom line, when all of sudden the #15K of Justin Kay hooked up on the cushion. Kay, one of six competitors who were taking advantage of the rules package that allows extra spoilers and the opportunity to run topless for the spec motors, started driving around competitors like they were standing still. By the time he was up to third there was a full straightaway between him and Eckrich, but Justin made up that ground in a matter of five laps as he moved into the second spot.
With just under ten laps remaining and with Aikey now riding behind the soon-to-be-lapped car of Wayne Hora who was also hugging the bottom, it looked as though Kay might just be able to reel in the leader as well. But with five laps to go a pair of lapped cars started to race each other just ahead of the challenger with one of them even moving up to the cushion. This forced Kay to abandon his lightning line around the speedway to get by the two of them and, at the same time, Aikey finally edged under Hora to put even more distance between the two front-runners and the race for the win was decided. It would be Jeff Aikey taking the $2,000 top-prize on this night with Justin Kay looking very impressive in second. Denny Eckrich would take home third-place money while Jason Rauen would finish fourth. And, as for fifth, coming all the way from the outside of row number twelve, it was Chad Simpson leaving us all to wonder what might have been if there had been a single caution and restart during the thirty-five-lap distance.
It is hard to consider the talent-laden field of thirty Modifieds as a “support” class this evening, especially when they presented such a clean and entertaining night of action during their portion of the program. Mark Schulte started from the pole and out-dragged outside row one starter Bill Butteris as the field took the green for their twenty-five-lap finale. A pair of cautions occurred on lap four when first Jake Bowman spun in turn two and when Davey Hammond got crossed up in nearly the same place on the restart. On the second restart Ryan Dolan made a run at the leader Schulte using the low line, but Schulte did not flinch and maintained his momentum up top to hold on to the advantage. A final caution on lap eleven for a track tire that had been punted out in turn two produced a restart that had the crowd on the edge of their seats for the next few laps. As the field went back to racing Dan Chapman dove low, Dolan used the middle and Schulte stayed up top through both sets of turns as the race for the lead went three-wide. As they came down the front stretch Mark actually dropped off the racing surface for a split second, but he retained his composure and again hit his mark perfectly into turn one. Dolan actually nosed ahead through turns one and two only to have Schulte again rocket by him on the high line down the back straightaway. Back out front, and with no additional cautions to slow his run, Mark Schulte went on to pick up the $700 winner’s check ahead of Dolan, Mike Burbridge, Chapman and Steve Stewart.
A solid count of nineteen Four Cylinders were also in action this evening with Steve Miedke pacing the first two circuits of their twelve-lap feature. Brad Chandler was on the move from his fourth starting spot driving around Miedke on lap three and then cruising to victory in a dominating fashion. Track point leader Jarrod McMichael came from the seventh starting spot to finish second, Brad’s brother Nathan Chandler moved from eighth to finish third, Chuck Hanson advanced to fourth after starting in row seven while Miedke held on to complete the top five.
CCR CBC Notes……I know, it sounds like the “Harlequin novel” side of me is coming out when I am describing a perfect night of racing while watching the sunset in front of me, but if you have ever been to a show at Tipton you probably know what I am talking about. The stands face directly to the west, which can be a bit of a pain when the sun is still up, but it becomes spectacular when that big orange globe sets and paints the twilight sky. With the track itself raised up (I was straight on eye level with the front stretch even though I was sitting midway up in the new bleachers) and a pretty good distance from the stands, it produces a different line of sight and sound than what you will find at most other tracks. I don’t feel like I am getting the full sense of the speed that the cars are carrying with this sight line, and it sure seems like they are all quieter than other tracks. Does sound rise???…..What else adds to a “perfect” night of racing? A lack of caution flags and we saw very few of them tonight. Both the Modified and Late Model heats ran caution free while one caution flew for debris in the two Four Cylinder heat races. The Modified B-Main, as can be expected, had three or four incidents that required restarts and all three features ran pretty clean. This all resulted in a final checkered flag waving at 9:34 p.m., perfect for a weeknight special event……I mentioned above that Justin Kay was one of six Late Models decked out with the spec motor body package with the other five being Colby Springsteen, Dale Stolte, Wayne Hora, Kevin Pittman and Brian Beaudry. Stolte has been absent from the Late Model scene for most of the 2010 season, but has posted a pair of top-five finishes here in late August. From the paint schemes it looks like his #78 and Hora’s #M2 are team cars and Hora is no stranger to Tipton as he has been a regular competitor here in the Street Stock division for several years. Pittman was behind the wheel of the #60 often driven by Dean Wagner……No WISSOTA cars on hand tonight, but the field did include Illinois drivers Mike Fryer and Russ Adams…..The Corn Belt Clash continues a three-races-in-three-nights swing with a show in Allison tonight and at Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minnesota, on Friday……The Modified winner Mark Schulte is a two-time All Iowa Points champion (2006 and 2007) and he was being chased tonight by the current All Iowa Points leader in Ryan Dolan……This was my first chance to see Bruce Hanford back in action after mid-season back surgery and the #61 looked solid as always……Late Model driver Matt Ryan moonlighted tonight in a red #11M Modified…..One driver who is usually challenging for the Modified win here at Tipton had a night to forget as Brad Diercks pulled off the track just before the green flag for the second heat race, an event that he was going to start from the front row in, and he did the same thing later in the evening as he prepared to start the B-Main…..One of the cautions in the Modified B was for a multi-car scramble on a restart. Shaune Lewis ended up spinning off the track and when he showed his displeasure by driving into the side of Ben Traver’s car as it sat waiting for the realignment, Lewis was then sent to the pits…..Scot Fridley was impressive coming from the back of the twelve-car lineup to snare the fifth and final transfer position out of the B-Main after failing to start his heat race…..After only one caution in their heats, the Four Cylinders put on some good racing in their feature as well with only one yellow when Mitch Bielenberg stopped in turn two on lap number three…..A big thanks to promoters Al & Kathy Dlouhy for their hospitality and don’t forget that the Cedar County Raceway has three events remaining on their 2010 schedule. This Friday, August 27th will be Season Championship night and they will come back the following week September 3rd with a non-points event. Then on Saturday night September 11th they will close out the season in style with the Dlouhy/Devore Memorial that will pay $2,000-to-win for the Modifieds, $1,500-to-win for the Late Models and $400-to-win for the Four Cylinders. For more info you can click the ad at the top of this entry. I am hoping to make it to this show following the annual Iowa and Iowa State game in Iowa City.
Several tracks will be holding their Season Championship events this weekend. Make sure that you attend the track of your choice and we hope to see you there!
Twenty-four CBC Late Models were on hand and the storyline for their portion of the program started in hot laps when Chad Simpson, winner of eight of the Clash events so far in 2010, slowed to a stop on the front stretch. Chad got out of the car, looked at the rear end and then drove it back to the pits unassisted, but he was a no-show when it came time to run his heat race. Just before intermission though, Simpson came to the track and ran a couple of hot laps before returning to the pits for final preparations for the 35-lap main event that he would start from the rear. (For perhaps more details on the situation with Chad’s mechanical issues, check out “In Staging” as Ryan Clark had based himself in the pits for the evening while I, as always, prefer the comfort of the grandstands).
Two of the three Eckrich brothers in attendance, Denny and Dave lined up on the front row for the feature race and, after a couple of misfires due to spins in the back of the lineup, it was Denny who charged to the front at the third drop of the green. As the leader ran the very top of the quarter-mile oval, it was quickly obvious that Jeff Aikey had nailed the setup for the very bottom line of the speedway as he drove by Eckrich for the lead on lap four. With Aikey and Denny Eckrich starting to pull away from the field the crowd could now focus their attention on tight battles for position for third as well as throughout the field. Dave Eckrich, Jason Rauen and Kurt Kile were waging war for that third spot, with all three mostly hugging that bottom line, when all of sudden the #15K of Justin Kay hooked up on the cushion. Kay, one of six competitors who were taking advantage of the rules package that allows extra spoilers and the opportunity to run topless for the spec motors, started driving around competitors like they were standing still. By the time he was up to third there was a full straightaway between him and Eckrich, but Justin made up that ground in a matter of five laps as he moved into the second spot.
With just under ten laps remaining and with Aikey now riding behind the soon-to-be-lapped car of Wayne Hora who was also hugging the bottom, it looked as though Kay might just be able to reel in the leader as well. But with five laps to go a pair of lapped cars started to race each other just ahead of the challenger with one of them even moving up to the cushion. This forced Kay to abandon his lightning line around the speedway to get by the two of them and, at the same time, Aikey finally edged under Hora to put even more distance between the two front-runners and the race for the win was decided. It would be Jeff Aikey taking the $2,000 top-prize on this night with Justin Kay looking very impressive in second. Denny Eckrich would take home third-place money while Jason Rauen would finish fourth. And, as for fifth, coming all the way from the outside of row number twelve, it was Chad Simpson leaving us all to wonder what might have been if there had been a single caution and restart during the thirty-five-lap distance.
It is hard to consider the talent-laden field of thirty Modifieds as a “support” class this evening, especially when they presented such a clean and entertaining night of action during their portion of the program. Mark Schulte started from the pole and out-dragged outside row one starter Bill Butteris as the field took the green for their twenty-five-lap finale. A pair of cautions occurred on lap four when first Jake Bowman spun in turn two and when Davey Hammond got crossed up in nearly the same place on the restart. On the second restart Ryan Dolan made a run at the leader Schulte using the low line, but Schulte did not flinch and maintained his momentum up top to hold on to the advantage. A final caution on lap eleven for a track tire that had been punted out in turn two produced a restart that had the crowd on the edge of their seats for the next few laps. As the field went back to racing Dan Chapman dove low, Dolan used the middle and Schulte stayed up top through both sets of turns as the race for the lead went three-wide. As they came down the front stretch Mark actually dropped off the racing surface for a split second, but he retained his composure and again hit his mark perfectly into turn one. Dolan actually nosed ahead through turns one and two only to have Schulte again rocket by him on the high line down the back straightaway. Back out front, and with no additional cautions to slow his run, Mark Schulte went on to pick up the $700 winner’s check ahead of Dolan, Mike Burbridge, Chapman and Steve Stewart.
A solid count of nineteen Four Cylinders were also in action this evening with Steve Miedke pacing the first two circuits of their twelve-lap feature. Brad Chandler was on the move from his fourth starting spot driving around Miedke on lap three and then cruising to victory in a dominating fashion. Track point leader Jarrod McMichael came from the seventh starting spot to finish second, Brad’s brother Nathan Chandler moved from eighth to finish third, Chuck Hanson advanced to fourth after starting in row seven while Miedke held on to complete the top five.
CCR CBC Notes……I know, it sounds like the “Harlequin novel” side of me is coming out when I am describing a perfect night of racing while watching the sunset in front of me, but if you have ever been to a show at Tipton you probably know what I am talking about. The stands face directly to the west, which can be a bit of a pain when the sun is still up, but it becomes spectacular when that big orange globe sets and paints the twilight sky. With the track itself raised up (I was straight on eye level with the front stretch even though I was sitting midway up in the new bleachers) and a pretty good distance from the stands, it produces a different line of sight and sound than what you will find at most other tracks. I don’t feel like I am getting the full sense of the speed that the cars are carrying with this sight line, and it sure seems like they are all quieter than other tracks. Does sound rise???…..What else adds to a “perfect” night of racing? A lack of caution flags and we saw very few of them tonight. Both the Modified and Late Model heats ran caution free while one caution flew for debris in the two Four Cylinder heat races. The Modified B-Main, as can be expected, had three or four incidents that required restarts and all three features ran pretty clean. This all resulted in a final checkered flag waving at 9:34 p.m., perfect for a weeknight special event……I mentioned above that Justin Kay was one of six Late Models decked out with the spec motor body package with the other five being Colby Springsteen, Dale Stolte, Wayne Hora, Kevin Pittman and Brian Beaudry. Stolte has been absent from the Late Model scene for most of the 2010 season, but has posted a pair of top-five finishes here in late August. From the paint schemes it looks like his #78 and Hora’s #M2 are team cars and Hora is no stranger to Tipton as he has been a regular competitor here in the Street Stock division for several years. Pittman was behind the wheel of the #60 often driven by Dean Wagner……No WISSOTA cars on hand tonight, but the field did include Illinois drivers Mike Fryer and Russ Adams…..The Corn Belt Clash continues a three-races-in-three-nights swing with a show in Allison tonight and at Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minnesota, on Friday……The Modified winner Mark Schulte is a two-time All Iowa Points champion (2006 and 2007) and he was being chased tonight by the current All Iowa Points leader in Ryan Dolan……This was my first chance to see Bruce Hanford back in action after mid-season back surgery and the #61 looked solid as always……Late Model driver Matt Ryan moonlighted tonight in a red #11M Modified…..One driver who is usually challenging for the Modified win here at Tipton had a night to forget as Brad Diercks pulled off the track just before the green flag for the second heat race, an event that he was going to start from the front row in, and he did the same thing later in the evening as he prepared to start the B-Main…..One of the cautions in the Modified B was for a multi-car scramble on a restart. Shaune Lewis ended up spinning off the track and when he showed his displeasure by driving into the side of Ben Traver’s car as it sat waiting for the realignment, Lewis was then sent to the pits…..Scot Fridley was impressive coming from the back of the twelve-car lineup to snare the fifth and final transfer position out of the B-Main after failing to start his heat race…..After only one caution in their heats, the Four Cylinders put on some good racing in their feature as well with only one yellow when Mitch Bielenberg stopped in turn two on lap number three…..A big thanks to promoters Al & Kathy Dlouhy for their hospitality and don’t forget that the Cedar County Raceway has three events remaining on their 2010 schedule. This Friday, August 27th will be Season Championship night and they will come back the following week September 3rd with a non-points event. Then on Saturday night September 11th they will close out the season in style with the Dlouhy/Devore Memorial that will pay $2,000-to-win for the Modifieds, $1,500-to-win for the Late Models and $400-to-win for the Four Cylinders. For more info you can click the ad at the top of this entry. I am hoping to make it to this show following the annual Iowa and Iowa State game in Iowa City.
Several tracks will be holding their Season Championship events this weekend. Make sure that you attend the track of your choice and we hope to see you there!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
One Track Closes, Two Extend Schedules, and More!
As I have aged I have found that after two straight weeks of Sprint Car racing at Knoxville and Oskaloosa I need a break. The Nationals wear me out anymore especially when I try to do the eight to five gig back home as well. Twenty-five years ago I wanted to go to the races every night of the week and that is the opportunity that the Southern Iowa Sprint Speedweeks provide, but nowadays I need a break, so let’s face it, I’m getting old! As I read the race results from Des Moines, Allison, Sedalia and Webster City this week there was still a little part of my heart that said, “you should have been there.” But, my sleep-deprived mind jumps in real quick and says “yea right, the closest one of those was just over two hours from home!” Hopefully my heart will start winning this battle again very soon though as the season is starting to slip away from us.
I see where another track has closed down the 2010 season a little earlier than originally planned as the Fredericktown Raceway in southeast Missouri, or “FredRock” as it is more affectionately known to its fans and competitors announced this week that they are scrapping the final two nights of their weekly racing season. Track owners did note however that they look forward to returning to full strength in 2011.
As one shuts down early, a couple of more tracks closer to home have announced an extended schedule for 2010. Quincy Raceways will continue to run on Sunday nights through October 10th and here’s hoping that they see a solid car count and fan base through the remainder of the season. I have always loved to go racing on Sundays in the Fall as high school and college football demand a lot of my attention on the first two days of the weekend. So now it looks like I’ll be setting the DVR for some NFL action and then heading down to Quincy a few times this autumn!
I guess that saying that the season is being “extended” at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri, isn’t completely accurate. Columbia, Missouri, Stock Car driver Rick Girard is dipping his toe into the promotional waters and has “revived” the 2010 schedule at the neat little 3/8th-mile oval in northeast Missouri after the track closed down earlier this summer. Girard held his first event last Saturday night and, from all reports, things went pretty well with solid car counts and good attendance. They are back at it again this Saturday night featuring a $700-to-win Modified show and Rick plans to run into mid-October culminating with the two-day Mid-America Nationals event that will likely be held October 15th and 16th.
For coverage of all of the racing action around the tri-state area of Iowa, Missouri and Illinois check out Heartland Motorsports.
While you are visiting Positively Racing make sure that you check out the August 18th entry from Ryan Clark “In Staging” as he discusses the controversial promoter’s claim that took place in the Stock Car division last Saturday night in Boone.
Sprint Car fans who are heading to 34 Raceway this Saturday night for the Sprint Invader Twin features, don’t forget that there will be a “Meet and Greet” session with Burlington’s own Josh Schneiderman who finished 13th at the Knoxville Nationals this past week. I would love to go shake the hand of “The Professor” and watch his father Bart beam with pride, but I made a date with Jennifer Nettles a few months ago that I just have to keep.
Get out to the track of your choice, support the sport and I hope to see you at the races again soon!
And if you'd like to have a chuckle or two, check out the last entry from my favorite blogger Mark Titus.
I see where another track has closed down the 2010 season a little earlier than originally planned as the Fredericktown Raceway in southeast Missouri, or “FredRock” as it is more affectionately known to its fans and competitors announced this week that they are scrapping the final two nights of their weekly racing season. Track owners did note however that they look forward to returning to full strength in 2011.
As one shuts down early, a couple of more tracks closer to home have announced an extended schedule for 2010. Quincy Raceways will continue to run on Sunday nights through October 10th and here’s hoping that they see a solid car count and fan base through the remainder of the season. I have always loved to go racing on Sundays in the Fall as high school and college football demand a lot of my attention on the first two days of the weekend. So now it looks like I’ll be setting the DVR for some NFL action and then heading down to Quincy a few times this autumn!
I guess that saying that the season is being “extended” at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri, isn’t completely accurate. Columbia, Missouri, Stock Car driver Rick Girard is dipping his toe into the promotional waters and has “revived” the 2010 schedule at the neat little 3/8th-mile oval in northeast Missouri after the track closed down earlier this summer. Girard held his first event last Saturday night and, from all reports, things went pretty well with solid car counts and good attendance. They are back at it again this Saturday night featuring a $700-to-win Modified show and Rick plans to run into mid-October culminating with the two-day Mid-America Nationals event that will likely be held October 15th and 16th.
For coverage of all of the racing action around the tri-state area of Iowa, Missouri and Illinois check out Heartland Motorsports.
While you are visiting Positively Racing make sure that you check out the August 18th entry from Ryan Clark “In Staging” as he discusses the controversial promoter’s claim that took place in the Stock Car division last Saturday night in Boone.
Sprint Car fans who are heading to 34 Raceway this Saturday night for the Sprint Invader Twin features, don’t forget that there will be a “Meet and Greet” session with Burlington’s own Josh Schneiderman who finished 13th at the Knoxville Nationals this past week. I would love to go shake the hand of “The Professor” and watch his father Bart beam with pride, but I made a date with Jennifer Nettles a few months ago that I just have to keep.
Get out to the track of your choice, support the sport and I hope to see you at the races again soon!
And if you'd like to have a chuckle or two, check out the last entry from my favorite blogger Mark Titus.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Best Nationals Ever? Yea, I Think So.....
I don’t know how many times over the past thirty-four years that I have walked out of the Knoxville Raceway on a Saturday night in August thinking "wow, that was the best Nationals ever!" I’ll admit, it has been several times and that is why I don’t know exactly how many times I have felt that way. Who knows, maybe I am easy to please, but I do know that it has been a few years since the last time that I said that to myself. Last year was such a struggle with the weather and included the frustration of having the championship night moved to Sunday, so maybe the recent memory of that one made this 50th edition seem so much better. And, with the sheer range of emotions that I experienced over the final ten laps on Saturday night, future Nationals will be hard pressed to prompt me to say "that was the best Nationals ever", ever again!
If you are a regular reader of the Back Stretch you know that I normally follow a certain format when I report on an event that includes what is essentially a race story followed by a set of side notes that I feel are of interest. When it comes to the Nationals though, I take a different path as I will still place a standard bet that I am the only person walking around the place with press credentials hanging around his or her neck that also paid for a ticket for all four nights. Sitting in Section I, Row 20 along with friends and family, most that we only see for four nights a year, is every bit of part of the Nationals experience for me so the notebook stays in the car. And that is why you are not going to find a detailed report here of how this, the best ever Nationals as far as I am concerned played out. For some notes from the two intriguing qualifying nights, read the past two entries here, and for the full details of the Saturday night finale I encourage you to watch the delayed broadcast of the event on the Speed Channel on August 28th. But for now….
Much was discussed this past year or two about the 50th Nationals being a fifty-lap race and most of that discussion was in a negative tone. I believe that one prominent driver was even quoted this week as saying that it would be a fiasco. Well, if it would have been a traditional thirty-lapper, we really don’t know who would have won it as just as the caution waved on lap twenty-five for the mid-race pit stop Donny Schatz had a run on Sammy Swindell coming down the front straightaway. Would Schatz have made the pass if it stayed green? Would Sammy have been able to return the favor? We’ll never know that one.
The "pit stop" itself was nowhere near as "exciting" as one thought, and infield announcer Mike Roberts confirmed that other than changing tires and refueling, nobody made any significant changes during the break. On the restart Swindell blocked the low line into turn one and kept Schatz far behind until they started working traffic. With about fourteen laps remaining Schatz made a bold run at Swindell in turn three and drove up the track in front of him, but the cushion wouldn’t hold him and when Schatz bobbled to recover, Swindell drove back around him to the delight of the near capacity crowd.
It looked like the win was Sammy’s as he pulled away after that exchange, but the caution waved with (I believe) six laps remaining for Brian Brown who had shredded a right rear tire while running in the top four. What happened after that will be remembered for everybody who was in attendance no matter who they were pulling for. On the restart Swindell and Schatz traded the lead on the track at least three times as Donny would throw a slider and Sammy would counter by kicking off the cushion to drive back under him. Coming around for lap forty-seven Schatz finally made a move stick in turn four and he went to the cushion in one and two. Swindell charged to the bottom in turns one and two and looked like a slot car that was glued to the track as he drove off the bottom of two with the lead once ago down the backstretch. As Swindell slid up the track in turn three to close the door on Schatz his left rear tire exploded and he spun backwards before tipping over onto his top. Ten years ago the place would have gone nuts as in those days Swindell would have been the villain and Schatz the hero, but we race fans are a fickle bunch and there was a stunned silence that overtook the crowd as what would have been a storybook victory for Swindell had just been vanquished.
The silence turned to applause though as Sammy climbed out and first stood atop his still upside down car, then that applause grew even more as he walked from turn four into the infield. Then we all saw something that we never thought we would see. The veteran driver who has always been labeled as stand-offish or arrogant when in fact he is just a quiet, evenly emotional man, stopped and acknowledged the cheers by taking a bow to the grandstands. This despite the utter disappointment that he had to be feeling at the moment. The crowd erupted and started chanting "Sammy, Sammy, Sammy…." as he continued that long walk back to the pits. I’ll admit it, he has been my favorite for many years and to hear this replace the boos and catcalls that were normal in the past was really something to experience and nearly brought a tear to my eye.
So after all of this, we still had three laps remaining to determine who was going to be this year’s Knoxville Nationals champion. With Schatz now sitting out front, and with the vast majority of the crowd wanting to see someone else in victory lane rather than the driver that four years ago saw his first win here come to the thrill of the crowd; who three years ago impressed the crowd by following up that title; who two years ago got a smattering applause with his third straight win and who last year thrilled direct family and friends with his fourth straight (remember, we race fans are a fickle bunch), all hopes were now pinned on either Tim Shaffer or Shane Stewart to stop that run. Schatz was able to shake off the first attempt by Shaffer, but then a wisp of smoke was seen out of the #15 and Shaffer saw his golden opportunity as he drove under Schatz in turn two with just less than two laps remaining to take the win in front of a grandstand full of people who were jumping up and down, waving their hats and hugging whoever was sitting near them in celebration. The streak had ended, and as Shaffer celebrated in victory lane, I noticed that several of the fans around me joined in applause for the runner-up Donny Schatz. After all, race fans are fickle, but we still appreciate excellence!
Considering the action and the drama of the two qualifying nights and the way that the final ten laps played out here on Saturday night, it truly was the best Nationals ever! At least until next year. :)
One last note, a huge congratulations to Josh Schneiderman who as the one and only Iowa driver in the A-Main came from the twenty-third starting spot to finish 13th. What a great way to celebrate twenty-five years of racing for the Deuce Racing crew, I know that his papa Bart has a smile on his face that won’t go away for a long time to come!
That’s it for now, get out to your favorite track soon and make some memories.
If you are a regular reader of the Back Stretch you know that I normally follow a certain format when I report on an event that includes what is essentially a race story followed by a set of side notes that I feel are of interest. When it comes to the Nationals though, I take a different path as I will still place a standard bet that I am the only person walking around the place with press credentials hanging around his or her neck that also paid for a ticket for all four nights. Sitting in Section I, Row 20 along with friends and family, most that we only see for four nights a year, is every bit of part of the Nationals experience for me so the notebook stays in the car. And that is why you are not going to find a detailed report here of how this, the best ever Nationals as far as I am concerned played out. For some notes from the two intriguing qualifying nights, read the past two entries here, and for the full details of the Saturday night finale I encourage you to watch the delayed broadcast of the event on the Speed Channel on August 28th. But for now….
Much was discussed this past year or two about the 50th Nationals being a fifty-lap race and most of that discussion was in a negative tone. I believe that one prominent driver was even quoted this week as saying that it would be a fiasco. Well, if it would have been a traditional thirty-lapper, we really don’t know who would have won it as just as the caution waved on lap twenty-five for the mid-race pit stop Donny Schatz had a run on Sammy Swindell coming down the front straightaway. Would Schatz have made the pass if it stayed green? Would Sammy have been able to return the favor? We’ll never know that one.
The "pit stop" itself was nowhere near as "exciting" as one thought, and infield announcer Mike Roberts confirmed that other than changing tires and refueling, nobody made any significant changes during the break. On the restart Swindell blocked the low line into turn one and kept Schatz far behind until they started working traffic. With about fourteen laps remaining Schatz made a bold run at Swindell in turn three and drove up the track in front of him, but the cushion wouldn’t hold him and when Schatz bobbled to recover, Swindell drove back around him to the delight of the near capacity crowd.
It looked like the win was Sammy’s as he pulled away after that exchange, but the caution waved with (I believe) six laps remaining for Brian Brown who had shredded a right rear tire while running in the top four. What happened after that will be remembered for everybody who was in attendance no matter who they were pulling for. On the restart Swindell and Schatz traded the lead on the track at least three times as Donny would throw a slider and Sammy would counter by kicking off the cushion to drive back under him. Coming around for lap forty-seven Schatz finally made a move stick in turn four and he went to the cushion in one and two. Swindell charged to the bottom in turns one and two and looked like a slot car that was glued to the track as he drove off the bottom of two with the lead once ago down the backstretch. As Swindell slid up the track in turn three to close the door on Schatz his left rear tire exploded and he spun backwards before tipping over onto his top. Ten years ago the place would have gone nuts as in those days Swindell would have been the villain and Schatz the hero, but we race fans are a fickle bunch and there was a stunned silence that overtook the crowd as what would have been a storybook victory for Swindell had just been vanquished.
The silence turned to applause though as Sammy climbed out and first stood atop his still upside down car, then that applause grew even more as he walked from turn four into the infield. Then we all saw something that we never thought we would see. The veteran driver who has always been labeled as stand-offish or arrogant when in fact he is just a quiet, evenly emotional man, stopped and acknowledged the cheers by taking a bow to the grandstands. This despite the utter disappointment that he had to be feeling at the moment. The crowd erupted and started chanting "Sammy, Sammy, Sammy…." as he continued that long walk back to the pits. I’ll admit it, he has been my favorite for many years and to hear this replace the boos and catcalls that were normal in the past was really something to experience and nearly brought a tear to my eye.
So after all of this, we still had three laps remaining to determine who was going to be this year’s Knoxville Nationals champion. With Schatz now sitting out front, and with the vast majority of the crowd wanting to see someone else in victory lane rather than the driver that four years ago saw his first win here come to the thrill of the crowd; who three years ago impressed the crowd by following up that title; who two years ago got a smattering applause with his third straight win and who last year thrilled direct family and friends with his fourth straight (remember, we race fans are a fickle bunch), all hopes were now pinned on either Tim Shaffer or Shane Stewart to stop that run. Schatz was able to shake off the first attempt by Shaffer, but then a wisp of smoke was seen out of the #15 and Shaffer saw his golden opportunity as he drove under Schatz in turn two with just less than two laps remaining to take the win in front of a grandstand full of people who were jumping up and down, waving their hats and hugging whoever was sitting near them in celebration. The streak had ended, and as Shaffer celebrated in victory lane, I noticed that several of the fans around me joined in applause for the runner-up Donny Schatz. After all, race fans are fickle, but we still appreciate excellence!
Considering the action and the drama of the two qualifying nights and the way that the final ten laps played out here on Saturday night, it truly was the best Nationals ever! At least until next year. :)
One last note, a huge congratulations to Josh Schneiderman who as the one and only Iowa driver in the A-Main came from the twenty-third starting spot to finish 13th. What a great way to celebrate twenty-five years of racing for the Deuce Racing crew, I know that his papa Bart has a smile on his face that won’t go away for a long time to come!
That’s it for now, get out to your favorite track soon and make some memories.
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